


Trying To Heal

by Shelbazoidz



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst, Catra (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, F/F, Fluff, Give me all the Catadora fluff!, Hurt/Comfort, and therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:20:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24386605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shelbazoidz/pseuds/Shelbazoidz
Summary: After everything that transpired over the years, Catra finally has a place she can call home.  She feels safe and loved, yet these nightmares won’t stop.  Dreading sleep has become her new normal but she wants to get better...she needs to. Thankfully, there are people in her life now who are willing to help her battle these whirling emotions.ORPerfuma teaches Catra to meditate which somehow leads her bonding with all the other princesses
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 284





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I said I wasn’t going to write for this fandom but after three years, I lost that battle. Season 5 brought so many god damn tears yall. So, I just need to get all this fluff out my brain so I can focus on my other stories lol Enjoy!

Nightmares. They never seemed to end. 

Constant reminders of what she had endured. Flashes of sickly green, panicked breathing, the horrid drowning sensation that seemed never ending. Low voices chanting words in unison. Why did they make it seem like this was a joyous moment? It was painful, burning, ripping every sense of who she was. Why? The reason this all was happening drifted away in that sea of putrid green until she forgot everything. Adora. The memory of her everything, slipped away no matter how hard she fought. 

Carta jolted awake with a scream dying on her lips. She sucked in hungry breaths as her eyes searched around her bedroom, nails digging into the overly fluffy sheets. Melog let out a concerned noise, sitting up next to her. He nuzzled his face soothingly into her cheek, calming her racing heart. 

She was safe. 

Her hand ran through her hair, a deep sigh escaping. These flashes of memory seemed determined to never let her get a decent night's rest. They always came back. No matter how many days or weeks passed the memories were etched into her subconscious. During the day it was easy to forget with this new life she was living. So many new places, people, and the endless amounts of food Adora wanted her to try. No matter the amount of joy her days were filled with, night would come and so with it the terror of lasting damage Horde Prime had done. She flopped back onto the bed already knowing she wasn’t going to be able to fall asleep alone again.

It was still dark out, the moons high in the sky as she slipped out of bed. Her head peeked out the door to check if the coast was clear before she quickly shuffled across the hall and into the other bedroom, Melog following close behind. A familiar form lay tangled in the bed, golden hair sprawled out over the pillow as soft snore echoed around the room. Catra gazed at her for a few moments, a fond smile spreading across her face. God she loved her. Melog happily hopped onto the bed, curling at the end as Catra slipped into the sheets. Strong arms immediately wrapped around her, pulling her close with a content sigh. 

"Another nightmare?" Adora sleepily mumbled into her ear. 

"Yeah." She replied, nuzzling impossibly closer. 

"You know...you should really take Perfuma up on her offer. You haven't gotten a full night's sleep since you got here." Adora was half awake but still couldn't help but bring up what Catra had been trying to avoid since they got back to Etheria. 

"I can't, you know that." 

"Can't or won't?" Adora opened her eyes, seeing green and yellow ones glaring back. Catra felt her defenses rise up but fought the impulse to run. 

"Don't look at me like that." Adora continued. "As much as I love you sneaking in here at night, I also don't want you to be having these nightmares all the time." Fingers gently carded through Catra's short hair. Try as she might, a happy purr came out from Adora's touch. 

"I-I don't know. What if I mess it up?" She rested her head on Adora's shoulder.

"You can't mess up meditation. Just give it a try, please?" Those pleading blue eyes blinked up at Catra, making her let out a groan. 

"Fine. I'll try it...but just once." 

"That's all I can ask for." Adora hummed as she tangled their legs together, Catra’s tail lazily flicking between them. The pair looked out the window, watching the stars flicker in the sky. 

“I like it here.” Catra whispered. 

“Me too. I’m glad you’re here.” Adora smiled, kissing her forehead. They snuggled deeper into the sheets in an attempt to try and sleep again but Catra kept tossing and turning. Still too afraid of having another nightmare. Adora turned to her and reached up, scratching that perfect spot behind her ear. Catra melted into the touch. Her body immediately relaxing with a soft purr. Before she knew it her eyes were drooping closed as Adora continued until they both drifted off. 

* * *

  
  


“I want you to close your eyes.” Perfuma’s calm voice requested. Catra did as she was told, eyes sliding closed. They sat in the grass,the warm sun beaming down on them. “Take a deep breath in for five seconds and slowly release for five seconds. Relax and just let go.” She instructed.

“Let go of what?” A yellow eye cracked open to look at Perfuma. 

“Anything that is weighing you down. All your life troubles and stress, just clear your mind.” 

“I thought I was supposed to be fixing those things?” 

“You are but you need to be in a good headspace to do it. Eye closed.” She reminded, without even opening her own. 

Catra let out a disgruntled noise before trying to empty her mind. Her thoughts were still clouded in everything that happened in the past month. Her whole world seemed to be changing at lighting speed and she was trying her best to keep up but it was honestly a little overwhelming at times. She shook the swirling thoughts from her head. Keen ears focused instead on the sound of the flowing water next to them. The trickle of water over the mossy rocks as frogs croaked on the scattering of lily pads. There wasn’t ever really a time in her life where she just stopped and took a moment to appreciate the beauty of nature. The symphony of sounds was surprisingly relaxing. They didn't didn't speak for what felt like hours but she really couldn't tell. Her mind was too enraptured with all the peaceful noises surrounding them. The calming trance she was in was broken when Perfuma softly spoke. 

“Okay you can open your eyes.” 

“Are we...done?" She asked as Perfuma stood, stretching her arms over her head. 

"For today, yes." She smiled and Catra narrowed her eyes. 

"But we didn't talk about anything." 

"I know, we can work to getting there. If you want to do this again?" There were those hopefully eyes looking at her again. Did they teach that look in princess school or something? She chewed on her lip for a few moments before groaning. 

"Fine fine, I'll come back." Her eyes rolled just before Perfuma let out a happy noise, pulling her in for a tight hug. Catra tensed in reflex before smiling softly and returning embrace. 

  
  


"How'd it go?" Adora asked excitedly as they wandered through town. 

"Good. I think? We didn't talk but I got to clear my mind for a while. I'm supposed to be in the right 'headspace' before we talk." She said, putting Perfuma's words in air quotes.

"That's great, really. Listen-" Adora paused, turning to her. "I know this isn’t easy for you but we've been through a lot and it’s difficult to let people in but I'm really proud of you for doing this." Her eyes were sincere as she spoke, squeezing Catra's hand softly. She knew first hand how hard it was to try and unlearn everything that Shadow Weaver taught them. Not knowing their own self worth and constantly hiding emotions was something even she was still working on. She couldn’t imagine the combination of that and having Horde Prime’s chip infect her for days like Catra had. 

"Thanks, I want to try this. I want to be better for myself so we can work on us too." She gave Adora a smirk making her flush slightly. The shy expression made a smile spread across her face. 

"Don't look at me like that." Adora blushed harder as Catra leaned in closer. 

"Like what?" She faked innocence. 

"L-like you want to eat me." People walked around them as Adora's face burned from the heated expression Catra was giving her.

"Do you really want me to make a joke out of that?" 

"Please don't." Adora groaned, a smile tugging at her lips. 

"Fine, I won't." Catra hummed out before kissing her.

* * *

The next few sessions with Perfuma went similar to the first. Just listening to the sounds of nature in content silence. Catra actually started looking forward to the moment of relaxation. Before she would go to bed some nights she’d sit cross legged on her bed and take a few minutes to clear her mind. It actually seemed to be helping her sleep through the night without any nightmares. Although she still would sneak into Adora’s room half the time. It was just more comfortable to share a bed with her. Adora didn't mind one bit, she missed sharing a bed with her. 

During the third week of their sessions Perfuma asked Catra to think about things that made her happy and why. The question had caught her off guard but she answered eventually. Perfuma followed up by asking her to talk about memories that made her laugh, then something that made her angry. These questions came up every few meetings and she gave Catra a long while to figure out how best to answer. The more she talked during each session, the easier it became. Sadly, there was a question that Catra was dreading. 

"What's something that scares you?" Perfuma asked and Catra fisted the grass, her tail puffing up. 

That deep primal fear of losing Adora or possibly seeing Horde Prime's face again bubbled to the surface again. Both thoughts made her shiver. The words were difficult to get out but Perfuma was patient and compassionate as usual. Catra shook slightly as she walked through her thoughts. Melog rested his head on her knee with worried eyes. She gently placed a hand on his head before continuing. As much as she preferred shelving all her feelings, it was freeing to be open with someone about everything going on in her head. 

"Thank you for sharing that with me. I want you to know that there are plenty of people here for you now Catra. We won't let anything happen to you." 

"I know I just… I'm still scared I'm going to lose all of this." Her hand gestured vaguely around then.

"This is real, everything here right now-" A small blue flower appeared in her hand. "Is real. It's hard to let yourself feel secure after everything you've been through but we're all here for you and we're not going anywhere." Perfuma gave her an easy smile, offering the blue flower to her. Catra gazed at it for a few moments, trying to allow herself to know that Perfuma's words were true. 

"I know...thank you for talking with me." She nodded with a smile as she accepted the flower. 

"My pleasure, anytime." She nodded happily. They chatted idly for a few more minutes until it was time to go. "Ya know some of the other princesses want to get to know you better. I think I'd be good if you gave them all a shot too?" Perfuma offered as they stood. Catra took a deep breath, still slightly scared of messing up these budding friendships. 

"Yeah, I'd like that." She returned the smile. The simple agreement unlocked a pandora's box of princess chaos.

Well...controlled chaos. 

Catra shrieked as she dove out of the way, her foot slipping on ice. 

“Again!” Frosta yelled. How could someone so small be filled with so much rage. The thought came just as a chunk of ice hit Catra in the head. Frosta suggested she come train with her to help her use any residual aggression in a productive way. She wasn’t sure what Frosta had in mind for training but almost killing her was not what she imagined. Another patch of ice made her slip and fall to the ground so she laid there in an attempt to catch her breath.

“Are you giving up on me?” Frosta said as she stood over her. 

“No, I'm just taking a break.” She panted. 

“Break time’s over!” A small smirk was all the warning Catra got before she dodged more ice, vaulting to the otherside of her. Her foot swiftly kicked out Frosta's legs making the princess land on the ground with a thud. Frosta’s eyes were wide in surprise as she looked up at her. 

"Sorry! You okay?" She asked quickly.. 

"Yeah I'm good, don’t apologize. That was a pretty neat move." She grinned and Catra smiled back.

"Thank you." 

“Sorry for ya know...punching you in the face before.” Frosta looked a little guilty as Carta helped her stand back up. 

“It's alright, I kind of understand why you did it.” She laughed softly.

“Are you still up for more training?” Frosta raised a brow in challenge. 

“Absolutely.” Catra smirked as she took her fighting stance again. 

Befriending the people you'd been trying to kill was a little odd but she managed. Catra took time out each week to try and open herself up to the princesses a little more. Each princess had their own way of bonding with her. Scorpia had been beyond excited to teach her to make cupcakes. It was a bit of a mess but the desserts had turned out pretty good. Entrapta had gotten her to help with a few experiments. Which had gotten her shocked more than she'd liked to admit. But Entrapta's sheer joy from tinkering with the robots was contagious.

If Catra was honest she enjoyed her time with Mermista the most. Their personalities just seemed to click. Much to Catra’s surprise, Mermista’s favorite pastime was knitting. While Catra was no good at it she liked the casual conversations she and Mermista would share. After what seemed like an eternity she did eventually pick up knitting well enough to make Adora a little knitted unicorn that resembled Swiftwind. Relaxing and learning these new hobbies took a lot of getting used to. Yet, seeing Adora’s face light up when she gave her the mini Swiftwind made it all worth it. Catra’s heart burst with love as Adora let out a happy squeal, hugging the doll to herself before kissing her fiercely. 

* * *

Why was this place so damn confusing? Catra grumbled to her herself as she wandered around the palace. She knew the library was around here somewhere but couldn’t remember where it was for the life of her. Melog trotted behind her before suddenly coming to a halt and turning towards a different hallway. 

“What?” She asked and he let out garbled noise, gesturing down the hallway. Catra followed behind him and they stopped in front of the large doors of the library. “Thanks buddy.” She patted his head as she pushed open the doors. Glimmer sat in a large chair, flipping through a book. 

“Hey there.” She brightened when she looked up at the sound of the door creaking open. 

“Hey Glimmer.” Catra nodded, looking slightly nervous. 

“What’s up?” She closed the book, seeing the nerves evident on Catra’s face. 

" I um... need your help." 

"With what?" 

"Well...it's just I um-" Her hand rubbed the back of her neck. "I need some...dating advice and-" Before she could finish, Glimmer let out a happy squeal, quickly teleporting them to a different part of the castle where she knew Adora wouldn't hear. 

"Warn me before you do that! " Her ears flattened back as she fought off a wave nausea that teleporting always caused. 

"Sorry sorry! I just got excited. What can I do to help." The Queen was practically vibrating with excitement. 

"Well I wanted to ask Netossa and Spinnerella about ah—dates and relationships? All that kinda stuff I don't know anything about. But I don't want to just show up with a million questions alone. Would you mind coming with me?" She could feel herself flush, tail tucked next to her leg shyly. 

"Of course Catra." Glimmer beamed at her and she visibly relaxed, letting out a relieved sigh. 

"Thanks." 

"Let's go now!" Glimmer shouted and before Catra could protest and was already being teleported… again. 

The talk had been just as awkward to start as Catra had thought it would be. She loved Adora, she really did but the whole courting thing was so out of her depth. With some encouragement from Glimmer she hesitantly asked the couple a few questions. Like most people she'd met here Netossa and Spinnerella gladly gave her some suggestions and ideas for how best she could do something nice for Adora.

* * *

Today had been weird. It was the only world Adora could really think to describe it. Glimmer had been nowhere in sight which wasn’t that usual, being Queen was time consuming. She’d asked Adora to do her a few favors in the city which had taken up most of the day. But when she got back to the palace it was almost as if everyone was avoiding her. Scorpia had literally let out a little shriek and ran away when she saw her a few hours ago. What the hell was up with that? She was just about to see if she could go find Catra when swift footfalls came from behind her. She turned just in time to see Bow running full spirit towards her. 

"I've been looking all over for you." He huffed, leaning forward to catch his breath. 

"Umm...you okay?" She questioned. 

"Yeah yeah I'm fine but I have something for you." The mischievous expression on his face made her wary. He pulled out a small white envelope, grinning as he handed it to her. Her finger ran curiously over the deep purple wax seal. 

"What's this?" A single brow raised as she turned the note in her hands, seeing her name written on the front. 

"Just open it." He patted her shoulder with a soft smile. "Have fun!" He called as he ran back in the opposite direction. 

"What is up with everyone today!" She yelled after him. With a confused huff she opened the letter, eyes scanning over the short invitation. 

  
  


_Adora,_

_Hi. Sorry everyone has been avoiding you today. They’re horrible at keeping secrets and they were trying not to tell you what I was planning. Anyways, I'm not really sure how to do this. I'm trying my best, okay? You’re the one who usually gives the speeches, but writing is easier for me. Being open and sincere with my feelings never come easy for me but you’ve never given up on me no matter what. I love you for it (among a million other reasons) I just wanted to show you how much I truly do love and appreciate you. So yeah, meet me in the country yard at dusk._

_-Catra ♡_

_P.S: Wear something nice._

_P.S.S: I mean not that you don’t always look amazing._

  
  


Tears burned in Adora’s eyes as she looked down at the adorable heart drawn next to the signature. She clutched the note to her chest with a sniffle before turning to see that the sun was already hanging low in the sky. With a grin she darted off to her room to figure out she was going to wear.

  
  


On the other side of the palace Bow came skidding into the kitchen as Glimmer, Catra and Wrong Hordak ran around the space in a panic. 

“Did you give her the note?” Catra asked as soon as she saw him. 

“I did.” He said as his eyes looked over the chaos. “Why-why didn’t you as the cooks for help?” 

“Because I want this to come from the heart.” Her foot stomped on the floor like a toddler. 

“Aww.” Bow and Glimmer’s eyes sparkled as they looked at her. 

“Stop it!” She shooed them away, fighting back the blush. “We still have work to do.” The pair heckled her for the next few hours as they tried to get everything perfect. The food was thankfully done without anything else catching on fire. She made sure to thank them for all their help as Bow and Glimmer forced her to go get ready.   
  


The sun was resting in the horizon as she resisted the urge to pace back and forth around the courtyard. What if she didn’t come? The thought was stupid and Catra knew it was but couldn’t help the self doubt that trickled in. Her fingers twisted over one another as she took another lap around the courtyard. 

“Hey you.” A familiar voice floated over. She stopped in her tracks and turned, the sight before her made every intelligent thought she had go right out of her brain. Adora stood in the light of the setting sun, a pale blue dress flowing down her body. Her hair hung loose over her shoulders as she smiled shyly. 

“H-Hi.” The word finally stuttered out once she realized she’d been staring like an idiot. 

“You look great.” Adora ran a hand up the lapel dark blazer Catra was wearing. Bow and Scorpia had gleefully helped her pick it out a few days prior. 

“Thank you. You look really nice too.” As much as she loved Adora, compliments were still kind of hard but Adora knew how much she meant every word. They started at each other with goofy smiles for a long moment, just appreciating how fantastic the other looked. Catra eventually cleared her throat, offering her arm to Adora. 

“So I was thinking we could start with dinner.” She smiled softly as Adora looped their arms together. 

“Lead the way, beautiful.” She grinned, the complement made Catra’s cheeks heat. They walked arm in arm to the smaller dining hall. Little candles flickered around the room, illuminating the space in a warm glow. Catra pulled out a chair, gesturing for Adora to sit. She quickly unveiled the dinner they’d spent a good chunk of the afternoon perparing. Her nerves rose as Adora thoughtfully chewed on her first bite. 

“This is delicious!” She mumbled around a bite, eyes sparkling. 

“Really?” Catra beamed. 

“Really!” Adora, put her hand over hers as they continued eating. It wasn’t the easiest eating with one hand but neither wanted to let go as they chatted casually about their days. Catra brought out two pieces of cake once they were finished with the main course. She nearly had a heart attack at the almost sinful noise Adora made when she took a bit of the desert. 

“I have another thing planned if you’re ready.” She offered once dinner was done. 

“I am.” Adora smiled. Catra giddily took her hand, leading her deeper into the palace. Adora knew this place was gigantic but she didn’t know it was _this_ big. She swore she hadn’t even seen this part of it before. Catra walked confidently, having memorized the path to the room when Bow first showed it to her. They stopped in front of a large wooden door and Catra pushed it open, gesturing for Adora to enter. 

“After you.” She grinned. Adora walked in, her eyes immediately going wide. It was a large sunroom, each wall was decorated with floor to ceiling flowers of every color. Two bay windows were open, allowing the pleasant the summer night air to breeze through. A fountain trickled lightly in the center of the room as little fireflies fluttered around. The moons were bright in the sky, casting a perfect glow over the space. Adora had been too caught up in staring at the magical set up she didn’t notice Catra move to put on some soft music. 

“We danced before at Princess Prom but I wanted to have a redo. So we can have a real one this time...on better terms.” She laughed softly, offering her hand. Adora wordlessly accepted her outstretched hand, pulling Catra closer. Her hands rested on her hips, Catra’s looping hers over Adora's neck as they started to sway in slow circles to the music. 

“Tonight has been really great Catra.” Adora admired, still in awe of the space. 

“I’m glad you liked it.” She purred happily, looking up into loving blue eyes.

“Thank you for putting this together, it's perfect.” 

“I had a lot of help.” She shrugged nonchalantly. 

“Well remind me to thank everyone else later.” She hummed, reaching up to cup Catra’s cheek. Another gentle purr rumbled out, it was honestly one of Adora’s favorite noises. “You know even when we were fighting there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t miss you.” Adora admitted. 

“Me too. I...I missed you so much.” Her mind thought back to every night she spent curled up alone, deep inside the Horde base where no one would find her. Sometimes she would cry, so frustrated with fighting and being alone. “There were nights where I did think about leaving the Horde and coming to you but I was stubborn and thought you wouldn’t want me.” Catra’s eyes darted down to the floor. 

It was true but wasn’t an excuse for the pain she’d caused during the process. It was something she knew she was going to have to live with but was going to spend the rest of her days trying to be the best version of herself. Adora gently tilted her head up, making Catra meet her eyes again. 

“I loved you since we were kids, Catra. Nothing is ever going to change that. I promise.” She leaned in pressing a soft kiss to her lips. 

“I love you too.” She whispered against Adora’s lips before pushing up. Adora pulled her closer, a pleased sigh escaping when Catra’s fingers pushed into her hair. Adora pulled her closer, a pleased sigh escaping when Catra’s fingers pushed into her hair. Desire crackled to life between them as they got lost in the moment. Mouths sliding over one another, each pouring every ounce of love into the kiss. They reluctantly pulled apart for air, panting lightly as their cheeks burned from the intensity of the kiss. The look in Catra’s eyes made Adora’s stomach do a little flip. Fireflies flickered around them as they gazed lovingly at one another. Their foreheads pressed together as ‘I love you’ was whispered once more. The soft music continued to fill the space while Adora held her close as they started to sway again. Catra rested her head in the crook of Adora’s neck feeling perfectly at peace. 

  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, its been a minute. I just felt like adding something to this story for some reason. I almost titled this chapter 'i like ya cut g' cuz I'm a dumpster full of trash.

****Adora’s legs rested in Catra’s lap as they enjoyed the late afternoon breeze. The hammock they were curled up in swung lazily back and forth as Catra flipped through a book. Reading the parts she enjoyed the most out loud to Adora every now and again. It was a nice routine they developed to make sure they had some ‘them time’ everyday.

"So I wanted to do...a thing?" Adora broke the peaceful silence.

"A thing?"Catra's ears perked up and she shut her book. 

"Yeah a thing." Adora rubbed the back of her neck nervously. 

"Well,don't keep me waiting." 

"I've been thinking about it and I wanted to try out a new look." SHe tested, watching for a reaction. 

"A new look? What do you mean?" Catra sat up a little bit, intrigued. 

"You know just maybe a little something different with my hair? I was thinking of cutting it?"

"You tryna match me princess?" Catra teased, poking at Adora's chest.

"No! No! I've wanted to do it for a while now I just never had the time ya know with the whole saving Etheria thing." 

"I think you'll look great no matter what." Catra replied sincerely. "But who the hell is going to cut it because I sure as hell can't help you." 

"I have a guy." Adora smirked. 

"Bow!" Adora called as she walked into his room. 

"Really? Bow is your guy?" Catra deadpanned, looking unamused. 

"He cuts his hair and Glimmer's so why not mine?" She whispered.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Bow looked up at them from the new project he was tinkering with. 

"It's time." Adora replied with a determined expression. 

"Time for…?" He gave her a confused look. 

"Operation haircut." At her words his eyes went wide. 

"Really!? We're doing it now?" He yelled, bolting out of his chair, grabbing Adora's hands. 

"Yes. I'm ready." 

Catra looked back and forth between them. "You guys are so weird." She commented but was ultimately ignored. 

"Are you sure about this." Bow's eyes sparkled with excitement. 

"As I'll ever be." Adora was slightly nervous but excited for a change. 

"Then let's get to work! Catra, you have to leave." Bow rushed, already pushing her towards the door. 

"Wha-why do I have to go?" She complained as Bow led her outside. 

"Because I need to focus and it has to be a surprise! Come back in a few hours and bring Glimmer." 

"Bye!" Adora called from inside just as the door shut in Catra's face. Her ears flattened in mild annoyance at being left out. Melog let out a little noise , pressing their face into her side. 

"Yeah yeah I know, it's fine." She knew they weren't leaving her out because they didn't like her, they just wanted her to see the final product. The little voice in her head that told her everyone was going to leave her was still there sometimes but much quieter since she started living here. She linked her fingers behind her head and began whistling as she went to go find something to keep herself busy for the next hour. 

  
  


“So what made you decide to do it?” Bow asked as he searched around for another hair tie. 

“You know everything is so different now and I’m pretty sure I’ve been rocking the same look my whole life. I wanted to do something new ya know? A fresh start I guess.” She shrugged. 

“I think that’s a good reason.” He smiled softly as he started to work. “So you and Catra have been doing good then?” 

“Yeah it's been pretty great. Sometimes I just kinda look at her in the morning while she’s asleep and I can’t believe it's real.” She sighed wistfully. 

“Is Catra sleeping in your room?” He teased. 

“Are you sleeping in Glimmer’s?” Adora raised a brow making him blush. Micha had tried his best to keep them all from sneaking out but it was kind of difficult when your daughter could teleport. As well as Catra being beyond sneaky. 

“I’m gonna decline to comment” They both laughed. “How about we get to cutting huh?” 

“Let’s do it.” She nodded before suppressing a panicked noise when the first lock of hair hit the floor. 

* * *

Glimmer stretched her arms over her head ready to finally get away from her desk. It seemed like she’d been there all day. She walked down the hallways, stopping to lean out the window and take in some fresh air. Summer was just coming to a close, the breeze was a bit cooler this time of day now. She let out a relaxing breath, calmly looking out onto her kingdom. 

“Hey Sparkles.” A voice said, making Glimmer jump. 

“Catra! What did I say about sneaking up on me!” She stomped her foot making Catra chuckle. 

“Sorry sorry.” She apologized but Glimmer could tell she wasn’t really. She let out a sigh looking back towards the sky, seeing the sun starting to dip low in the sky. 

“It’s almost time for dinner. Have you seen Bow and Adora around?" She asked looking back to Catra. 

"They're in the middle of cutting Adora's hair. I was actually about to come and get-" 

"They're doing it now!?" Glimmer gasped before teleporting them just outside Bow's door. Catra blinked rapidly to clear her vision from the sudden change. 

"Warning. Please." She wobbled as Glimmer held her up.

"Sorry sorry." Glimmer apologized in the same tone Catra used previously before knocking eagerly on the door. "Bow! Adora! It's us!" There was some rustling inside before Bow opened the door with a wide grin.

"Hello ladies! Take a seat, Adora will be right out." He gave Glimmer a quick kiss on the cheek before running off behind the mirror. He and Adora's feverous whispers could be heard while Glimmer and Catra plopped down on one of the plush pillows on the floor. 

"We're waiting!" Glimmer giggled making a little smile cross Catra's lips. 

"Okay okay! May I present to you, Adora 2.0!" He waved for her to come out from behind the mirror and Catra swore her heart stopped in that moment. Adora walked out, the side of her hair had been cut low leaving the top slightly longer. She brushed a few escaped pieces out of her face, giving them a slight wave. 

"Well what do you think?" She smiled shyly.

"It looks so good!" Glimmer squealed wrapping Adora tight hug. "I can't believe you actually did it!" 

"Yeah me neither." She chuckled, rubbing the side of her head. The feeling of the shaved side of her head felt odd but in the best way possible. Her eyes drifted back over to Catra who hadn't moved a muscle from where she was. 

"Do...you like it?" Adora asked as she came over. 

"I do. I like it a lot." Catra nodded dumbly. She hated how her voice sounded, it didn’t convey how she was really feeling. There was so much more she wanted to say in the moment but couldn't quite articulate it. Adora looked a little sad at her lukewarm reaction, immediately making guilt wash over Catra. Why were words still so hard? 

"Thanks." She smiled softly but Catra could still see something was off in her eyes. 

"Well I'm starving so how about we go eat." Glimmer appeared next to them before Catra could try to say something else.

"Yeah that sounds good." Adora nodded quickly as they all filed out the room. Catra spent all of dinner sneaking glances at Adora wanting desperately wanting to just be able to tell her what was on her mind. She watched Adora poke at her food, disinterested. Only contributing to the conversation when someone directly spoke to her. 

  
  
  
  


“You know being stuck on Beast Island for so long I made up a pretty cool game if you guys are interested.” Micah offered once dinner was finished up. 

“That sounds like it's going to be...intresting and I’d love to play Dad.” Glimmer laughed as Bow nodded in agreement. 

“Sure, I’m game.” Catra shrugged. 

“Adora?” He asked, looking at her. 

“No I’m good, thanks. I’m just gonna go wash up, it's been a long day.” Adora excused herself quietly exiting before anyone could respond. 

“Is she okay?” Micah asked when Adora was out of sight.

“I don’t know, she seemed fine earlier.” Bow’s brows creased. Catra knew what was probably bothering her and felt her guilt return. She needed to fix this. 

“I’m gonna go check on her. Just umm...let me know how the game goes?” She gave them a little smile before leaving out, Melog trailing right behind her. 

“Okay?” Micah called after her. 

Young people were complicated. 

  
  
  


Catra let out a breath as she stood outside the washroom doors. About 10 minutes had passed as she wandered the halls trying to hype herself up to talk. Maybe she should just wait until later? She moved to leave but Melog grabbed the tail of her shirt, pulling her back. 

“Okay fine!” She grumbled, turning back to the door. Her fist raised to knock before she paused looking down to them. "This is kinda personal so why don’t you meet me back in our room okay? Thanks for being there for me." She scratched Melog's head affectionately. With one last meow they trotted off down the hallway. Catra took another steadying breath before knocking on the door. "Hey Adora...it's me. Can we talk?" There was a lull of silence, her tail flicked nervously. 

"Sure. Come in." Adora called back. Catra quickly slipped into the room, eyes landing on Adora who was submerged in the hotspring, damp hair slicked back. They'd seen each other naked plenty of times growing up together but that didn't make Catra any less nervous whenever she saw her. 

“How’s the water.” She asked awkwardly. 

“It's alright? Did you need something?” Adora tried to keep her voice even but she didn’t feel like talking right now. She knew she should just tell Catra what was bothering her but it wasn’t just Catra that struggled with talking about her feelings. 

"I just wanted to talk. About earlier?" 

Adora opened her eyes, sitting up. “Okay?” 

"Well it's just...umm..ugh!" Catra let out a frustrated noise, turning away for a few moments to gather her thoughts. Adora watched her try to find the right words, slightly worried. 

"What is it?" 

"I don't know how to say this. I couldn't put it into words when I first saw your haircut and I still can't." She sighed. 

"Do you...not like it?" Adora asked. She’d been afraid of the answer all day. Catra’s reaction made her self conscious about the decision. 

"What? No no I love it! I love it so so much, I swear. But I didn't know how to tell you how beautiful you were." She rubbed her arm. "No, that's not what I wanted to say. I wanted to say that you looked...sexy." Her cheeks burned at the word that had been on the tip of her tongue all evening. 

"I do?" Adora's eyes widened. 

"You do and I didn't want to say that in front of Bow and Glimmer because...it was embarrassing." Her whole face was on fire at this point as her eyes drifted to the floor. 

"You th-you think I'm sexy?" She knew people found She-Ra attractive but never herself really. 

"Of course I do! You always are. Well maybe not when you're snoring." Catra laughed lightly, making Adora grin. 

"I don’t snore that much!” She laughed, her smile dimming slightly before speaking again. “I was scared you didn’t like it earlier. That’s why I left after dinner, I should have just talked to you. Sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize. I would have freaked out too if I did a drastic change and you weren’t excited about it.” Catra shrugged. There was a moment of silence before a laugh bubbled out of Adora. 

“Look at us, communicating.” She chuckled lightly. It wasn’t perfect but hell, this conversation probably would have never happened a few years ago. They both would have just buried their feelings and ignored it. 

“I like this better than fighting.” She smiled softly at Adora. 

  
  


“Me too.” Adora’s eyes flicked towards her with a smirk. “Yooou...wanna get in?" She tested and Catra gave her a suspicious gaze. 

"You know me and water don't mix." Her tail fluffed up slightly at the idea. 

"We are supposed to be going to the beach with everyone tomorrow so why not a little practice?" She gave her a hopeful look Catra knew she wouldn’t be able to resist. “But you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” She added quickly watching Catra debate for a few moments. 

"Ugh fine fine." Catra rolled her eyes before beginning to take her clothes off. Adora tried her best not to stare as Catra tossed the rest of her clothes off before cautiously putting one foot in. She slowly sank into the water, the warm spring water did feel a little nice. Only her head was above the water as her eyes slid closed, she could kind of get the appeal. Adora watched lovingly as Catra floated around the hot spring. 

“Alright, this is a little nice.” She murmured. 

“What was that? I couldn’t quite hear you.” Adora teased. 

“Don’t push it.” Catra smiled, her eyes still closed. The scent of whatever soap Adora used permeated the air, making her feel more relaxed. She eventually sat up looking towards Adora who was just watching her. 

“What?” She asked. 

“Nothing, I just like seeing you relaxed.” She smiled before yelping with Catra splashed her. “Hey! I was being sweet.”

“I know and I love you for it.” Catra chuckled before splashing her again. Adora turned as she avoided the water, Catra’s eyes landing on her back. She paused at the sight of the markings that were there. 

“I forget that’s there.” She said sadly, reaching out to brush the scar. 

“What where?” Adora asked, looking over her shoulder to figure out what Catra was talking about. “Oh..that.” The wound had healed a while ago only leaving three pink marks on her skin. 

"I keep hurting you." Catra hated how quickly her mood shifted, but the sight of the pain she caused Adora always hurt. Her eyes started to burn at the memory of when she caused those scars. 

"Catra." She spoke softly just as the first tears escaped Catra’s eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm ruining the mood." She rubbed at her eyes. 

Adora's heart almost shattered at the look of pure guilt on Catra's face. With a gentle sigh Adora walked over, pushing Catra back through the water just until she sat down on the rock ledge carved under the water. She placed her hands on both sides of Catra’s face. “Look at me.” She said sternly. Catra’s eyes slowly opened, staring at the water for a few moments before finally looking at Adora. 

“What you did to me while you were chipped was not your fault. Horde Prime made you do it and you still fought it. Okay? It's not your fault. I love you Catra.” She held eye contact as she waited for Catra to respond. Another tear slipped from Catra’s eyes as she sniffed slightly. 

“I love you too Adora.” She gave her a watery smile before her brain finally processed Adora was naked and pretty much sitting in her lap. Her eyes drifted towards Adora’s lips as she swallowed thickly. “C-can I kiss you?” She whispered lowly. Her words seemed to trigger Adora to realize the position they were in as well. 

“Yes.” She nodded just before Catra leaned forward, pressing their lips together. 

* * *

Beams of light streamed into the room as Adora sat against the headboard, enjoying the sounds of the morning birds. She let out a yawn before rolling back over to Catra who was still fast asleep. 

“Wake up.” She cooed gently. A grumble was given in return making her laugh softly. “Come on, you said you’d come with me today.” Adora poked her side. Catra squirmed away, trying her best to hold on to the blankets being tugged away.

“Ten more minutes.” Catra ducked her head back under the sheets. 

“You said that twenty minutes ago too ya know.” Adora received another unintelligible mumble so she pulled down the covers just enough that two ears popped up. She gently pinched Catra’s ear between her fingers, rubbing little circles, eliciting a loud purr. “Bow or Glimmer is probably going to burst in here any minute if we don’t get up.” 

“Trust me I know.” Catra had had a handful of rude awakenings while she’d been here. It's like everyone here was a morning person but her. She poked her head out from under the covers, giving Adora a playful glare. 

“Hello there.” Adora giggled.

“Hey.” She reached up, pulling her down for lazy kiss. Adora let out a happy hum, slowly getting lost in her. That was until the sound of the room door being flug open made them both freeze. 

“You guys ready for a beach party?” Bow’s excited grin faltered when he looked at them. They both looked like frightened deer, Adora shuffling quickly to get off Catra. 

“Why did you- Oh! Umm… sorry, we’ll meet you guys outside!” Glimmer quickly pushed Bow back out the room. Their panicked conversation was muffled as the door shut. Adora deflated with an embarrassed groan.

“Knocking! Have you heard of it!” Catra shouted after them. She huffed out a laugh looking back to a mortified Adora. 

“On that note I’m never leaving this room again.” She grumbled into Catra’s shoulder.

“I thought you wanted to go to the beach?” 

“That was before. I cannot look them in the eyes again.” 

“Come on it wasn’t that bad. At least we had our clothes on.” Catra purred, teasing her side. The sensation made a giggle bubble out of Adora. 

“Behave.”

“When do I ever?” She smirked. Adora eventually got her out of bed and got dressed. 

“You guys ready to go?” Catra asked when they met up with Bow and Glimmer. A large sun hat on top of her head, blocking out the bright rays of sun. 

“Yeah we’ve been ready, you two were to the ones ma-” The rest of Glimmer’s sentence was shushed by Bow. 

“Yeah we are.” He said, saving Adora the embarrassment. She gave him a grateful nod just before Glimmer teleported them away. 

Everyone had been pretty busy trying to reorganize their kingdoms after Horde Prime's defeat so it’d been a few months since they were able to hang out. The boisterous group of Princesses greeted one another with happy smiles and bone crushing hugs (mostly from Scorpia). They talked loudly as they followed the sandy path to the water. Catra trailed behind everyone just happy to listen to all the different conversations. They eventually found a spot to set down their stuff. Catra found good a spot in the sand under an umbrella Glimmer brought, her eyes finding Adora already taking off her shirt. The swim clothes she wore showed off perfectly toned muscles.   
  
  


"Enjoying the view?" Glimmer teased, plopping down next to her. The pair watching as Bow, Adora and Seahawk raced to the water's edge. 

"No!" She replied quickly, biting down on her lip. Glimmer raised a brow and she folded her arms. "A little." Her eyes drifted back to the ocean where more of the friend group was splashing in knee deep water. Adora had an ear to ear grin as Frosta tackled her into the sea. The splashing made Mermista shoot them a glare from the relaxed spot she was floating. Perfuma and Scorpia giggled with one another as they started to build a sand castle. 

"You going to swim?" Glimmer asked, resting her arms on her knees. 

"Me and water don't really get along." She grimaced at the thought. Although the bath last night had been pretty fun. Probably not because of the water though, she fought off a blush at the memory. 

“The ocean is fun, you might like it if you give it a shot.” 

“We’ll see but I’m good right here for now.” Her arms stretched happily over her head as she flopped back over onto the warm sand. There was a big difference in a warm hot spring and the cold open ocean. With a hum Glimmer left her be going to join everyone in the water. 

Catra enjoyed the warm rays of sunshine on her fur for the next half hour until the happy laughs from everyone made her sit back up. They did look like they were having a lot of fun. Even Melog was out there, chasing Entrapta around through the shallow water. What the hell was the appeal in splashing around in the stupid ocean anyways? All her senses fought her as she slowly made her way over to the water’s edge. Her eyes narrowed at foamy waves that creeped closer to her feet. A little yelp escaped when it came too close for comfort. After a few stumbling steps backwards she bumped into something. 

"You having fun?" Adora looked down at her with a soft smile. 

"Not really." She grumbled. 

"I thought you weren’t going to get in?" She chuckled, poking Catra’s arm. 

"You guys make it look fun and I got curious." Her eyes roamed around, not wanting to see the stupid grin on Adora's face. 

"You want to try?" She offered, making Catra’s eyes narrow. 

"Maybe…" 

"I can carry you if you want. No pressure." Adora cupped her cheek, her thumb rubbing soothingly over the spot. The thought of being in those arms was extremely tempting and Catra was fairly hot from baking in the sun. 

"Okay, but not too far out." She barely finished the sentence before Adora scooped her off the sand. Her arms clutched Adora for dear life as they walked deeper into the sea. Water touched the tip of her tail making her tense, nails digging into Adora. 

"Nails nails!" Adora said through gritted teeth. 

"Sorry!" Catra apologized quickly before retracting her nails from Adora's shoulder. "You okay?" 

"I'm good. You want to keep going?" She asked, receiving a tentative nod. Catra felt Adora hold her closer as she waded out into deeper water. She took a few calming breaths, her eyes screwed shut. Maybe this was a bad idea. Water came up over her legs, stopping just at her midsection. 

"Open your eyes." Adora said softly, making her eyes fluttered open. Water sparkled in front of them as far as the eye could see. This wasn’t so bad, maybe water wasn’t truly awful. “You okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She released the grip she had on Adora’s shoulder slightly as she looked out. Slowly she worked up the courage to try a bit of swimming, still never letting go of Adora’s hand. She never expected to have that much fun in water yet here she was. A fish swam by catching her attention. Apparently the expression she made was hilarious because Adora accidentally swallowed some water from laughing so hard. After a bit more swimming Catra took a break, coming to shore to dry off. 

"Oh my god you're so fluffy." Bow gaped as Catra rubbed a towel on her head, her fur poofing up slightly. 

"Don't start." She warned but he was already too far gone. 

"But you're so cute." He squealed and she groaned. 

  
  


The group spent the entire day at the beach, taking a few breaks to rest or eat every now and again. It wasn’t until the sun was almost set that they put most of their clothes back on, quickly making a little bonfire that everyone eagerly crowded around. The fire creaked and crackled, sending orange embers floating into the air. Catra sat huddled next to Adora as Bow broke out his ukulele. He’d actually gotten pretty good over the last few months, he smiled brightly as the group started loudly singing random traditional songs. Many Catra and Adora had never heard before but they were all beautiful. Minus the one Seahawk sang, that one was just questionable. 

“Did you guys have any music in the Horde?” Frosta asked bluntly. 

“Umm not really?” Adora shrugged. 

“Well wait, I know some.” Catra said, making everyone turn to her. 

“You do? What?” Adora was trying to remember but couldn’t think of anything right then. The only ones she could remember were the ones they made up together when they were little but they never really shared them with anyone else. 

“Sing it!” Seahawk shouted from across the fire, receiving an elbow in the ribs from Mermista. 

“Only if you want to.” Perfuma added, resting her head on Scorpia’s shoulder. 

“I can...I uhh-I like singing. I just don’t do it often in front of other people.” Catra avoided looking at everyone in fear of losing her nerve. Adora was just as surprised as everyone else, she knew Catra better than anyone and she’d only ever sang for her a handful of times. She gave Catra’s hand an encouraging squeeze before Catra walked over to Bow. They whispered for a minute before Bow gave her a happy nod. She sat down on the tree stump next to him, ears twitching as she listened to the first few strums of the ukulele. Her eyes slid closed as she started the first verse. 

Adora watched from across the fire her eyes slowly going wide when she remembered the song. She hadn’t heard it in years. They made it up when they were kids and Catra would always sing it during thunderstorms when they were both scared. Catra’s voice was always so perfect. She fought back tears as everyone around the fire got lost in her voice. Catra’s eyes opened back up just as everyone started clapping a flurry of compliments erupting. 

“Thank you.” She nodded shyly. Today had been beyond out of her comfort zone but trying new things wasn’t always awful. Her eyes flitted back to Adora, eyebrows immediately shooting up when she noticed Adora was crying. She quickly rushed back over, sitting close.

“You weren’t supposed to cry.” She whispered to her. 

“These are happy tears.” Adora sniffled. “I just haven’t heard that song in a while. Thank you for singing it, I love your voice.” She placed a quick kiss on Catra’s lips making her let out a light purr. 

“Get a room!” Mermista shouted from across the fire making them both blush. The group laughed lightly, Catra resisted the urge to flip her off only because Perfuma would probably scold her. She looked at all their friends happily chatting and laughing around the fire. It made her so damn happy to finally have a group of people she could truly consider her friends. 

“It's nice right?” Adora whispered. 

“I never thought we would have this.”

“Me neither.” Adora rested her head on Catra’s shoulder watching the fire crackle. As the fire dimmed the stars lit up the sky, everyone laying down in the lush grass to look up at them. Catra and Adora lay next to one another, their pinkies linked as bright lights glinting off their eyes. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot this story was rated T when I wrote that bath scene the first time 💀💀
> 
> I can repost the original version in its own story if y’all want, just let me know!


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